Scholarship Essay Example

In the book of Jeremiah, scripture states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

For much of my life, I had a ‘plan’ to follow.  According to this ‘plan’, I should be a millionaire many times over, with a Villa in the South of France, and comfortably sliding into a size 6, but, poet Robert Burns says, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

As a mature woman looking back, I can say, the plans ordained for my life have been favorable.  Sure, life has been filled with challenges and difficulties, but after all, the plans for me are for good and not a disaster.  

I’m an African-American woman of 45 years, who, after a 16-year hiatus from the classroom, made a triumphant return to finish a degree that began way back when.  I have three children, with the eldest being a college graduate.  I spend evenings working alongside my 14 and 8-year-old, completing assignments, and relying heavily on YouTube videos to assist in the virtual setting we’ve found ourselves in during this pandemic.

Returning to the classroom room has been an extraordinary experience that has grown me far beyond my 45 years.  It has been a challenge, especially in the past year, adjusting to the virtual classroom.  The challenges of being a student in this pandemic have required more resourcefulness and maneuvering into unchartered waters.  For a moment I considered abandoning my degree aspirations altogether, but knowing if I did so, yet again, I’d never return and I owed it to myself and to my children to persevere.  I owed it to my mother who’d continuously wrapped me in encouragement and prayers.  I am a servant volunteer in my church, instructing fitness classes to fellow parishioners, and my unyielding dedication requires me to PUSH THROUGH!  My success is their success. I want to know what it feels like if I don’t give up.  Through the long days and nights, the sweat and tears, here I stand, poised to graduate in May 2021, with an Associates of Science Degree in Sport Management.  I plan to continue my education by working towards a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science.  I have been an avid runner for years and I want to combine my love for physical activity with my love for people.  I want to use my education platform to inform and educate my community, especially women and children,  of the benefits of leading a physically active life, in a teaching environment. 

If awarded this scholarship, I can continue towards a bachelor's degree beginning in the Fall of 2021. This scholarship would ease the financial pressure and allow me to focus on my studies uninterrupted.  This scholarship would help to offset the rise in tuition that will clearly be on the horizon.